YEVU Pops Up in Surry Hills

A super cool, ethical fashion label hits Surry Hills this week as YEVU launches their first-ever pop-up shop. A celebration of West African spirit and its vibrant culture, YEVU is a socially responsible fashion label conceived just over six months ago in Ghana.

YEVU meaning ‘foreigner’ in the Ewe language is a word that followed founder Anna Robertson around each day as she walked through the bustling streets of Accra. As she navigated the markets the Sydney-sider fell in love with the colourful array of bold wax prints on traditional cotton fabrics that were being sold by local vendors. Intrigued by the history of the prints and the significant part traditional textiles played in the West African economy, Robertson, who was working at the time in Ghana as a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and Australian Youth Ambassador for Development, decided to create YEVU.

What started as an experiment with a duffle coat design soon transformed into her debut collection. “I found that with the duffle coat the fabric was so durable and it (the brand) really just grew from there.” Robertson founded her brand on the principles of sustainability and empowerment of the local community and it is this ethical aspect that continues to drive her. All of the fabrics are carefully sourced from the markets of Accra, Kumasi, Togo and Cote d’Ivoire in West Africa. Moreover, all of the brand’s designs are developed and handmade in Ghana using traditional wax print cotton fabrics in collaboration with local tailors and seamstresses.

YEVU is for free-spirited, creative types who are not afraid to stand out from the crowd. The unique designs with their distinctly ’80s vibe are typified by bold, contrasting print combinations in a myriad of riotous colours. The brand offers styles for both men and women, with a selection of pencil skirts, bomber jackets, button up shirts, backpacks, totes, unisex shorts and traditional Kente caps.